Atlanta Burns – Chuck Wendig

Wendig can craft a wonderful sentence and transport you to his settings. They may be broken and unhappy settings, but you can see, smell and taste them.  By all accounts I enjoyed this book.  It’s a great story of a victimized white-trash girl making good and turning herself into a teenage, real-life superhero, helping not only herself, but other disenfranchised students at her school.  My concern is not with the writing of this book but it’s research.

A quarter of the way through Atlanta buys a pack of “cheap”cigarettes.  Wendig chose American Spirits and talks about the Native American picture on the front of the pack. I can see why the brand appealed to him.  It fits a gritty noir vibe Wendig goes for.  The problem with this is American Spirits aren’t cheap. They are an expensive brand because they are made on Reservation land and don’t contain the additives other cigarettes do. I know this not because I did research, but because if you spent time with the people Atlanta would you know it. If you have spent any time around smokers you know this.   Atlanta would definitely know this.  This simple error shocked me out of the story. It made me think that Wendig didn’t know what he’s talking about. If he gets this small stuff wrong it will alienate readers who grew up in an environment like the one Wendig focuses on in the book.

As a reader, I tend to separate the author from their books. As long as it rings true I don’t care. I don’t check on the authors credibility.  I tried to ignore the error and write it of as a stylistic choice, but I kept seeing other small errors like it. I ended up researching Wendigs history…and decided it is irrelevant. The problem is if I went looking others will to. If it was an adult book I wouldn’t care as much. With YA, however, your research needs to accurate.  Maybe not with urban fantasy or paranormal books but ones dealing with serious issues such as molestation, hate crimes, and racism you do.  I don’t recommend stylistic choices or creative license with this kind of YA.  Working with at-risk teenagers, one thing  I learned is they will crucify you if you get this stuff wrong – with some justification. Truthfully, a part of me got angry and started throwing terms like poser around in my stewing brain.  It took me a minute to figure out why I was having such a strong negative reaction.

Wendig has a good book here. He also has a reputation of his research being accurate. He did so with the Miriam Black series.   I had a hard time with Miriam because I know a real non-paranormal version of her.  I had to give him credit for bringing to life this character that you feel sympathetic towards despite her sociopathic behavior.  I believed he must have had some real world experience and gave him the credit for it.  I wish he had done his research as well this time so I didn’t come away disillusioned – justifiably or not.  I came away feeling he had appropriated poor culture.  This may sound strange but there isn’t a lot great about being poor and definitely not about being young and poor. The claim to fame is you survived it.   I started to feel that Wendig sat back and said who can I make the bad guy?  Atlanta is supposed to help the disenfranchised so who can be the bad guy? I know! White-trash neo-Nazis!  I say good choice. I’ve no love for neo Nazis, who does? – except for neo Nazis. I know Wendig does not want to discriminate. He mentioned so in his blog. However, with Atlanta Burns, he could be perceived as discriminating against a socio-economic class. He has white neo Nazis; poor pedophiles; a poor white slut; a set of poor white trash, home schooled, Irish twins that kidnap bait dogs; a weak single mother who doesn’t work, lives off the system, and who didn’t protect her daughter; etc. The Amish and Mennonites are only used in reference to being the dirty side of town and for selling expired food. Each of these characters need to be there, they exist, but it came off feeling wrong. All that effort to be politically correct, to the point it’s almost painful, and he missed socio-economic class. There had to have been one good poor adult in that town.

At some point I realized I was reading an ARC and was so glad. It meant I could give feedback. I didn’t hear anything back but I do think it was a mistake, and one I’m betting was fixed. You will have to tell me – those of you reading the finalized copy after the publish date.  I will cross my fingers.  Let me know so I can give credit where credit is due.

I received this from Netgalley and Amazon Children’s publishing in return for an honest review.

Broken Harbour(Dublin Murder Squad#4) – Tana French

The first Dublin Murder Squad book I picked up was ‘The Likeness’ and I liked it, but after I read ‘Faithful Place’ I’ve been on an obsessive Tana French kick.  Broken Harbour follows Michael Kennedy nicknamed “Scorcher.”  This little gem of a book follows this Murder Squad detective who meticulously follows up on all the details and rules of an investigation.  He ensure his murderer is locked away nice and tight without any hope of getting off on a technicality.  He doesn’t close a case until after the trial.  He wants no loose ends.  We met Scorcher in ‘Faithful Place’ and our boy Frank left Scorcher hanging.  You could say the investigation at Faithful Place started the unraveling of Mr. Kennedy.

Kennedy, like most detective,s and all French’s characters has a scarred childhood.  He, however, went to therapy after his divorce and dealt with his issues.  He believes he is firmly in control of his own destiny and if you look at life in a positive manner positive things will come to you.  The book is about his first big case after Faithful Place and he has no intention of screwing up after working his way back up through the junkie murders.  A lot of detectives don’t like the big cases or has an issue with murders involving children.  For Scorcher, he believes, if you couldn’t handle it why do you want to work murder in the first place.  He takes a new rookie, Richie, through the paces and chose to keep him on the new big case where an entire family is murdered including two young children.  The family, the Spain’s, were living in a half finished housing development that got shut down by the economic crash in Dublin.  They were in the middle of nowhere and where there are so few neighbors no one may have heard anything.

Kennedy doesn’t get close to people.  He prefers rookies because they don’t ask personal questions.  No one on the squad who has known him for years knows that he has a sister who is extremely mentally unstable or that his mother committed suicide.  She committed suicide in Broken Harbor, the same place as the Spain’s, on a family vacation to the sea when he was a child.  There is something strange at Broken Harbor.  Nothing seems right.  Mental instability is a vein through the entire book and the desperate need for people to control their situation and surrounding.

Tana French did a wonderful job.  She ties the story together and while the solution may seem obvious she takes you tracking down many red herrings.  As per French’s usual not all our questions are answered and that is part of its beauty.  This is a dark tale that spirals out of control and Kennedy doesn’t come out smelling like a fresh lily.  Anyone who likes Tana French will be happy.  The audible version is narrated by Stephen Hogan.  He does a great job.  His female voices aren’t perfect but I have listened to far worse.  As far as his interpretation of Kennedy or Richie he does a fabulous job.  I enjoy listening to her books so I can hear the Irish accent since I won’t create it in my head.  If you haven’t read her I recommend you do.  This is the fourth installment of the series but there is no need to read the books in order. You won’t miss any crucial background story.  Each book is a separate mystery about a separate character on the Dublin Murder Squad. Pick the one you feel most interested in and start there.  If you want to start with her latest release, ‘The Secret Place,’ it won’t cause a problem.  Just make sure you start reading the Dublin Murder Squad.

Faithful Place: Dublin Murder Squad#3 – Tana French

 

I previously reviewed Tana French’s “The Likeness” , and enjoyed it,  but I developed a sick attachment for ‘Faithful Place.’  This is by far and away my favorite book of hers so far.  When I finished it I immediately downloaded ‘Into the Woods’ craving and needing more.  Each book in the Dublin Murder Squad series has an overlapping character in the books, but it is not necessary for them to be read in order.  I am grateful, because technically I started with two, went to three and am now reading the first.  I was concerned I missed a major plot point, but it appears I stumbled on a series where you can “choose your own adventure,” or more accurately, choose your own timeline.  ‘Faithful Place’ revolves around Frank Mackey and the gritty side of Dublin.  The book throws him back into a family dynamic he ran from years ago.  Frank is a grizzled undercover cop and handler.  He’s not the running type.

Frank Mackey is 41, divorced, with a nine-year old girl he has worked hard to be able to see on weekends.  His wife doesn’t hate him but decided she and her daughter would no longer come  in second to his job.  Frank , in an aside, states she finally wised up and divorced him in a sardonic acknowledgement of his mistakes.  Divorced by job, I wonder if that will one day become  a category on divorce paperwork.

His daughter knows her dad has an important job and accepts she can’t always count on him.  However,  when his sister calls him telling him he has to come home on his first hard won weekend, it is with regret and shame he returns an angry and disappointed Holly to her mother.  He hasn’t been home, Faithful Place, in years.   Jackie is the only sister he speaks to.  He refused to go until he heard that they found Rosie Daly’s suitcase.  Rosie Daly, his first love, who left him to pursue her dreams in England.  They were supposed to go together and get married, but instead of finding Rosie at their meeting place he  found a letter saying she was leaving without him. Now that her suitcase was found in a condemned house chimney he’s questioning if his history of events is accurate.  Everyone is jumping to conclusions.  Frank waits for confirmation, but Rosie was murdered.

Frank, who is very comfortable working in the grey, steps on the Murder Squads toes. He, himself, is technically a suspect, and despite the good faith it would earn him to play nice in the sandbox, he circumvents them and does his own investigation.  No one in Faithful Place will talk to the Murder Squad but they might talk to one of their prodigal sons returned home.   Frank’s department head tacitly allows him to go off book in the guise of vacation time and people on the inside agree to help him, much to the annoyance of the Murder Squads lead, Scorcher.  Bridges will be burned!

I love this book.  It’s an instant favorite.  If you like audible books, Tim Gerard Reynolds does a fabulous narration. He provided an Irish accent I could not have created in my head, and his character differentiation was superb.  His narration matches Tana French’s material  and enhanced the experience for me.  As a person who rereads books, I will always choose to listen to ‘Faithful Place.”  I was sad to learn he didn’t narrate ‘Into the Woods.”  ‘Faithful Place’ is a book I insist you pick up if you enjoy mysteries, cop drama, Ireland, and the seedy underbelly.  Yes, it really is that good.

“Deadline” – Mira Grant

I finished ‘Feed,’ the first of the Newsflesh series by Mira Grant, quickly, and did not wait at all to pick up ‘Deadline.’  Grant is a master of the cliff hanger.  I simply had to know what happened next. ‘Deadline’ picks up right after ‘Feed’ and is narrated primarily by Shaun Mason, everyone’s favorite Irwin.  He is a changed man.  The events that took place after the end of the campaign left him and the staff of ‘After the End Times’ scarred.  The events, however, left Shaun in worse shape than anyone else.  He hears voices in his head and he answers them.  Those closest to him deal with it, but it is unsettling to those outside of his insulated circle.  Shaun is no longer a carefree, devil-may-care Irwin.  He has changed his focus to helping Mahir with the administration of the site despite the general roar from the public wanting him to go back to poking dead things with sticks.  It’s what they love him for.

The plot of this book surrounds the CDC and their involvement, scientific methods, and potential conspiracies with the Kellis-Amberly virus(what causes humanity to become zombies).  One day Doctor Kelly, Doc, shows up at Shaun’s headquarters in Oakland with information that Irwin’s don’t understand and the Newsies only are getting a glimmer of understanding before a full outbreak takes out Oakland, and ‘After the End Times’ headquarter.  The assumption – it could only relate to what Doc knows, the timing of her visit, and knowing who has the power to cause this kind of  incident.

Shaun and his team go completely off grid in towns that have long since been abandoned by civilization and surrendered to the walking dead.  There are several people who live this way, including scientists that work outside the rules of the CDC.  Shaun and his team get to know the mad scientists as they unravel what is really going on.

The tale is more disjointed than ‘Feed.’  It does not flow as well, but it will still suck you in.  It’s an intriguing book, but at times you will feel bored and other times not understand character motivation and involvement.  Shaun is very changed, as I mentioned above, and it can be hard to completely sympathize with his anger, desire to stay crazy, and his lack of compassion for those surrounding him.  A problem I’ve always had with characters is when they start acting like petulant children.  Let me fair, however, Shaun has reason to act out.

Mira Grant is great at providing some exceptional twists.  Ones I refuse to give you and ruin the surprise.  All I will say is George still has a part to play, and there is one deliciously large twist at the end that raised my evaluation of the book.  If you loved ‘Feed’ continue to ‘Deadline’ accepting it will not be quite as good.  If  you were lukewarm on ‘Feed,’ I recommend stopping here.

“The White List” – Nina D’Aleo

‘The White List’ is a fun book. I love in the description, it says if you join Chapter 11 you can’t ever leave. It reminded me of ‘Hotel California,’ ” You can check in any time you like but you can’t ever leave.” It has other allusions to the devil and Hell but not in a fire and brimstone way. This book is set in an alternate timeline of America in a city called Toran-R. Chapter 11 has an agency in every corner of the world that watches and controls the third of the population that have a genetic mutation giving them uncontrollable strength called’ Shaman Syndrome’.

Silver and Dark are agents of Chapter 11. They are friends that are as close as family: the kind that forgive the questionable and antisocial traits our casual acquaintances avoid and we hide from them. Agency directive states that lethal force must be taken if a ‘walt’ (someone breaking out with Shaman Syndrome) causes a danger and can not be ‘recapped’ (shaman syndrome behaviors subdued and memory of breakthrough erased.) Silver refuses to use lethal force and is looked down upon by her superiors. Even at a secret government agency there are cubicles and middle management that pushes paperwork off on you. Even worse you are forced to endure monthly performance reviews. This a weird combination of the boring trials of an office job and secret government intrigue.

The character development appears weak in the beginning with a secret agent woman who lives at home with her parents and her eleven cats. She wants to meet “the guy” and get married. Her partner is a tough Italian that grew up in an abusive household. He has trouble expressing emotions, is happy with shallow relationships, and makes inappropriate juvenile jokes. Nina D’Aleo impressed me by tying these character aspects to the story arc.

Her world building was a bit weak. It is supposed to be a future or alternate timeline but very little is different from our current world. She tied in new terminology for Chapter 11 very well but there was little description to cars, neighborhoods, or homes that connected you to a different timeline. It, however, did not disrupt an enjoyable action packed story. This wasn’t a dystopian love triangle, and it wasn’t an excuse to say the future was terrible with an awe inspiring political message. What it was is a well thought out but a light character driven science fiction novel. The last half really picks up and keeps you in suspense. I enjoyed it and I recommend you read it. This is one I would give as a gift.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Deaths of Tao (Tao #2) – Wesley Chu

Thank heavens for book two! That being said, we’ve missed Jill’s and Roen’s wedding, honeymoon, and Prophus success. Not only did we miss the wedding we also missed Roen and Jill having a child, Cameron. 

This is the sequel to ‘The Lives of Tao.’  If you haven’t read it, I would go and read it prior to reading this book.  Chu is a fairly new author but has made quite and impression with the Tao series, many in the science fiction community have loved it.

The book starts with Jill and Roen being separated and Cameron living with Jill’s parents. …The life of a prophus agent with an alien living inside you isn’t easy…

I enjoyed the first book so much I devoured it and was left impatient. This time around I took it slowly to savor it. It was difficult but I did enjoy it and got to enjoy it for longer.

In this book we learn a lot more about Jill and her part in the Prophus plans and her relationship to Baji (the resident alien in her until death do they part.) She works in politics in Washington while Roen is the secret agent he so wished to become. He, however, is now skilled and capable in his own right, not just because of Tao’s guidance.

The Prophus/Genjix war has continued and the Prophus are losing badly. Gone are the days of jet setting and immaculate stocked safe houses. They barely have enough money for ammunitions and Roen/Tao have gone off the grid because they believe there are deeper conspiracies.

This book is enjoyable. Anyone who read the first book will have to read it. Chu has a great sense of humor and I couldn’t help laughing out loud at various bits. I highly recommend it, but that does not mean I believe it or ‘The Lies of Tao’ are perfect.  There are some flaws to the writing, but the sense of humor and action involved suck you in and allow you to look over its minor faults.  It will leave you wanting when you finish. Just like the first book Chu gives a very juicy twist at the end.

The Lives of Tao (Tao #1) – Wesley Chu

Oh how I loved this book!  Let me count the ways… okay, but seriously, it’s a new favorite. I just finished it and I can not wait for the next book. I am so glad this is a series. The book is fun. You have a protagonist that you can not help love because he is overweight, unhappy at his job, fruitlessly going to clubs to try to meet someone… and absolutely endearing. It is good enough I am listening to it a second time currently. I listened to Mikael Naramore’s narration on Audible.
The story is about an alien that inhabits the human body of our protagonist. He wasn’t exactly our aliens first choice but beggars can not be choosers. You follow the transition of our protagonist learning of his alien inhabitant, figuring out he is not crazy, and developing a positive relationship. Roan gets involved in a war between two different factions of aliens who have been influencing human evolution for years. Our host has been Genghis Khan, Lafayette, and several other notables.

Wesley Chu is extremely funny and utilizes multiple pop culture and historical references. This is a book you will enjoy and feel good after reading. Sci fi lovers, spy novel lovers, and anyone who ever wanted an escape from a boring job to become a secret agent will enjoy it. Even better we get the complaining of not getting to eat pizza and being forced to run until you fall down from complete exhaustion. There is no magical transition to secret agent – Roan gets all the bumps and bruises along the way.  We get to laugh at it.  . Mikael Naramore does a great job. His interpretation of Roan and Tao are perfect. He has some difficulties with some accents and interpretation of women but it is not enough to rate him low for the narration. I found his narration enjoyable.

Read this or listen to it. Don’t argue, just do it.

Blackbirds (Miriam Black 1) – Chuck Wendig

Blackbirds is the second Chuck Wendig book I have tried to read.  The first was Blue Blazes but I abandoned it.  Chuck Wendig, however, comes highly recommended from multiple sources I respect.  Blackbirds is the story of a young woman who sees the way people die if she comes in skin to skin contact with them.  She has tried to fight fate in the past to save people, but it has always knocked her down and put her in her place.The book is a paranormal thriller.  What could you possibly not like…and what can you like?

Chuck is great at building a descriptive world.  You can smell, see, hear, and unfortunately taste it.  This world is one of dirty hotel rooms, dirtier dive bars, and hitchhiking a small town grimy America.  You might not want to experience the taste that goes with that.  The book hooks you and is action packed.  You need to know what happens next.

That being said his characters are not lovable.  They are psychopaths, sociopaths, con artists with attachment disorder, etc.  I know a Miriam, she didn’t see people’s deaths, but as I experienced Wendig’s crass scavenger that will/did everything in her power to push people away, I cringed.  I recognize I probably have some negative transference, but Miriam’s still hard to like.  When I say she’s crass I don’t mean she uses some profanity,  this isn’t a common use of fuck, shit,etc.   This is very creative thought out descriptions of exactly what a person can do to a twat or cunt in an extremely ignorant fashion.  So…this is not for children, or the faint of heart. It’s also rather violent.

I will again say it is well written, good thriller.  It has twists I didn’t see and a luke warm uplifting ending.  Maybe Wendig is saving that for a series finale but I just don’t quite think uplifting happy rainbows is his style.  I haven’t decided if I’m reading the next book.  I feel dirty.  I think I will take a shower and decide later.

The Likeness: Dublin Murder Squad #2 – Tana French

This is a very engaging book. I read it out of order. I learned Into the Woods is the first book. It reads well as a stand alone as well. It’s engaging and kept me guessing all the way through for a number of reasons.

The story is about a cop in Ireland who used to work  the under cover division.  She goes under again after a murder takes place.  The reason: the victim has a remarkable likeness to our main character.

The main character is likable and due to issues from a previous investigation is dealing with a large amount of stress.  She was not ready to go under cover. You go through her attachment to her new housemates and slowly watch her go native during this assignment. A large part of the drama is how she deals with the attachments to her housemates but also to the woman she is impersonating.

Heather O’Neill is a fantastic narrator on audible for this book if you want to got that route.   She does the accents really well.

Reamde – Neal Stephenson

I loved this book and Neil Stephenson, however, I do not love all of his books. Recently, I have had frustrations with Anathem and the books he has written with other authors. I much prefer it when he is the sole author. This is not science fiction but it is much more in line with Snow Crash or Cryptonomicon in detail of knowledge and style. Stephenson does a fabulous job in communicating and understanding the gaming and computer hacking world (not that I am an expert but those I know and other reviewers have stated it is).

Malcolm Hilgartner does a wonderful job with the narration. He did well with the accents, and in my opinion did very well doing female voices.

If you like Stephenson and if you enjoy a suspense novel you will enjoy this book. It was a relief to read this book. I was hesitant after Anathem and Mongoloid, as I mentioned above. If you are hesitant, like I was, don’t skip Reamde. It really is great.